(08 Jun 2016, 6:34 pm)Dan wrote Fingers crossed it's not Centurion!

Out with the old, in with the new...

(08 Jun 2016, 6:33 pm)Tom wrote I'm not sure.

I believe the 58 is being reduced to every 12 minutes so I wonder if the Versas will be used on the 42?

(08 Jun 2016, 5:34 pm)Tom wrote Some info about the changes:

Service 10/10A/10B (Hexham/Blackhall Mill/Prudhoe Rail Station – Ryton – Blaydon – Metrocentre – Newcastle)
Revised timetable to better reflect actual journey times. Service 10A extended hourly from Rockwood Hill Estate (Mon – Sat daytime) to serve High Spen, Chopwell and Blackhall Mill replacing withdrawn Service 11 over this section.

Service 11 (Blackhall Mill – Chopwell – High Spen – Greenside – Crawcrook – Ryton – Blaydon – Newcastle)
Service withdrawn due to low passenger usage. Revised services 10A and 12/12A provide partial replacement facilities.

NEW SERVICE 11/11A/11X (Metrocentre – Lobley Hill – Gateshead – Newcastle – Wallsend – Royal Quays – Whitley Bay)
New service replacing the current 96/96A between Newcastle and the Metrocentre and then extended to Wallsend, Royal Quays and Whitley Bay providing new links. Monday to Friday peak AM journeys will operate as 11X between Dunston, Lobley Hill, Gateshead, Newcastle and onto Cobalt providing replacement for withdrawn 58X trips.

(08 Jun 2016, 7:31 pm)L469 YVK wrote Where did you find this out?

(08 Jun 2016, 7:31 pm)L469 YVK wrote Where did you find this out?

(08 Jun 2016, 7:37 pm)L469 YVK wrote It's ok, found it on the Crawcrook newspage. Wonder how they managed to get a hold of that information though?

(08 Jun 2016, 7:40 pm)Tom wrote My grandma lives on the route and she had a letter through the door or something about it, then I checked the facebook page and it was on there.

She is not pleased that about it as the 11 provides a way faster link than the 10 to Newcastle.  Wonder how the 10 will cope as when I get it there it's busy enough!

(08 Jun 2016, 7:44 pm)Michael wrote Wonder where the extra bus will come from for the TEN as it looks like the PVR might increase...

(08 Jun 2016, 7:46 pm)Tom wrote God knows they don't even have enough B9s to cover the PVR anyway do they?

(08 Jun 2016, 7:50 pm)Dan wrote With 6084, they do. If any of the Tyne Tees Xpress Volvo B9TLs are VOR, 6084 should be allocated to the X9/X10 as preference (with a B7 Gemini filling the void on TEN).

(08 Jun 2016, 7:51 pm)Tom wrote Maybe the Cobalt Clipper frequency is being reduced so one of them B9s will move to the TEN?

I'd imagine the 10A extension will only need 1 bus anyway

(08 Jun 2016, 7:53 pm)South Tyne Lad wrote That's what I imagine will happen, with the current 11 I believe there's 2 buses at a time in the section between Crawcrook and Blackhall Mill, So 2 B9s might be needed.

(08 Jun 2016, 8:26 pm)L469 YVK wrote Don't think the Clippers will go down TBH as they want to try and compete with Arriva. Worst case, 6099 or 6100 could be sourced from Deptford for the additional TEN vehicle with Deptford either coping with 1x spare or 1x B7TL heading in the other direction meaning Riverside / Hexham going down to 3x spares covering a total PVR of 21 with 6084 being seconded on TTX duties should any of 6043-6048 fail with the appropriate B7TL being allocated in situ to the TEN.

(08 Jun 2016, 8:27 pm)biglugs@yahoo.com wrote No way deptford are to throw a b9 away

(08 Jun 2016, 8:44 pm)L469 YVK wrote You never know.

Although with a bit of a struggle and given the Northumberland contracts that have often seen 6116 / 6117 in use on an almost daily basis as well as the abandoned GKN mods to 6104, the Clippers have coped reasonably fine with 1x spare.

Got to remember that the 56 has been timetabled with slightly more running time plus increased layover at Park Lane meaning that unless a B9 breaks down or is in for a PSV, then the likelyhood of needing a spare decker is reduced somewhat.

If Deptford lost the 1x spare and got nothing in return, they could cope with a bit of a struggle like Percy Main have. Look at the Prince Bishops and that is running at a ratio of 10:1 with Streetlites.

(08 Jun 2016, 5:34 pm)Tom wrote Some info about the changes:





NEW SERVICE 11/11A/11X (Metrocentre – Lobley Hill – Gateshead – Newcastle – Wallsend – Royal Quays – Whitley Bay)
New service replacing the current 96/96A between Newcastle and the Metrocentre and then extended to Wallsend, Royal Quays and Whitley Bay providing new links. Monday to Friday peak AM journeys will operate as 11X between Dunston, Lobley Hill, Gateshead, Newcastle and onto Cobalt providing replacement for withdrawn 58X trips.

(10 Jun 2016, 8:55 am)big mac wrote If the intention of this service is to replace the 96 between Newcastle and Metrocentre and the 17 between Wallsend and Whitley Bay, what route is it going to take between Newcastle and Wallsend?

(10 Jun 2016, 2:56 pm)Tom wrote Direct along Shields Road I think. Basically provides an express service between Wallsend and Newcastle.

(10 Jun 2016, 5:06 pm)big mac wrote Non-stop or limited stop? Either way, a very useful express link.

(10 Jun 2016, 7:26 pm)NK53 TKT wrote I like to think that they would be adventurous and get more passengers by following the stagecoach 40 route Wallsend to Byker via Welbeck Road in Walker

(11 Jun 2016, 1:34 pm)V514DFT wrote Just a genuine question here,but will the upcoming service changes of the 17 result in there being no service to Whitley from places like Killy and Forest Hall meaning having to connect either at Killy or Asda Benton for a bus to Whitley,personally aint fussed just that i heard some oldies talking about it the other day so couldnt really offer any info on it lol

(11 Jun 2016, 3:21 pm)Tom wrote Sorry I've only just saw this - 42 will be replacing the 17 but will only run as far as North Shields so no bus to Whitley Bay. Not sure who would sit on the 17 from Killingworth to Whitley Bay anyway when the 54 is way quicker!